Search - Jimmie Orchestra Lunceford :: 1940-41

Jimmie Lunceford's band maintained its popularity throughout the swing era, keeping its polished sectional play and relaxed swing fresh with a focus on strong arranging. While the band would sometimes act as a backdrop for novelty and sentimental vocals, there was always musical subtlety in the band parts. This disc in the Chronological Classics series takes Lunceford's band up to the wartime recording ban, including music from its last great period. The band's take on the Basie hit "Red Wagon" demonstrates the turns Lunceford could take, and there were still plenty of ideas coming from pianist Ed Wilcox and new arrangers like trumpeter Gerald Wilson and Billy Moore. Altoist Willie Smith often brings a touch of the blues to his solos, while some classical references turn up in "Flight of the Jitterbug" and "Yard Dog Mazurka." The concluding "Blues in the Night," heard in two versions, shows the Lunceford sound at its most sumptuous. --Stuart Broomer